The elusive Arboreal Wallaby : rediscovered?

Our mailbox is located some 2.5 kilometres (1.5 miles) from our home. We often walk to the box to collect our mail - the journey takes us along the gully and due to the topography, we can peruse and view the other side of the gully as we walk along the roadside. During these walks, we often witness unique and unusual events.

A while back, maybe a year or two ago, Janet and I spotted a Wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) standing on a tree that had fallen across the gully. Unusual in itself, to see a wallaby perched on a log, but more so when we noted that the wallaby was some 3 to 4 metres (9 to 12 feet) above the gully floor. We are unsure whether the wallaby was using the tree to get across the gully, or for other means, and at that time, we didn't have a camera with us so were unable to record the event.

Yesterday, on one such walk to collect mail, we once again observed a wallaby perched on a fallen tree. We were heading out, so checked to see if the wallaby was still there on the return trip and sure enough, it was. By the time we got home and grabbed the camera at least an hour had passed since our first sighting.

Fortunately, we were able to get the following shots.

The day was overcast with scattered showers throughout the day. The wind strength was 5~10 kph (3~6 mph) in exposed areas, although the wind was negligible this deep in the gully.

We went to the spot to assess the actual height and observed that the wallaby was about 1.2 metres (4 feet) above the ground, and wallaby scats were found along 4 metres (12 feet) of the tree trunk.

No, they aren't really called Arboreal Wallabies, but it does give some insight into the evolutionary link Wallabies have to the real Tree Kangaroo's found in Northern Queensland and Papua-New Guinea.

More info on the Tree Kangaroo can be found here :

http://www.tree-kangaroo.net/tkInfo.html

or here;

http://www.ozanimals.com/wildlife/Mammal/Kangaroos,Wallabies.html

Frog Rains

Every so often, and for no explicable reason apart from raining at the time, frogs in the pond begin to move...........en mass. After a day or two of rain, thousands of little frogs and froglets start their migration.

We have not been able to observe a pattern or particular weather condition in which the episode occurs, ie. whether after a dry spell, a particular air pressure or whether rising or falling, whether the same time of year, or some other pattern or circumstance. The only consistent aspect is that is needs to be raining over a number of days, maybe 4 to 5 days, and the movement starts on the 1st or 2nd day of rain.

One of our dams is to the south of the home, so the frogs present themselves as they climb the bathroom and bedroom windows. During the migration, there can be up to 20 or 30 frogs on each window pane.

On the move..................

After a while, the frogs begin to emerge at the front door (to the north) - we're not sure whether they climb up and over the roof, or travel around the walls. Either way, the do reach the front door and when this occurs, we exercise extreme care so as not to squash them as we leave or return to the home.

Climbing the bathroom window

We expect they continue with their journey to find new wetlands, ponds or soaks, as part of maintaining variation in the gene pool.....................ain't life grand?!?!?